iiiniiuuu^: 
Vol. XLIII. No. 1773 
NEW YORK, JANUARY 19, 1884 
PRICE FIVE CENTS. 
12.00 PER YEAR. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1884, by the Rural New-Yorker in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
Australia, Queerslaud, Tasmania and New 
Zealand, contain 3,181,478 square miles, or 
2,003,030,523 acres, an area larger than the 
United States. The United States has con¬ 
siderably less than one sheep to each inhabit¬ 
ant, while Australia has nearly 38 sheep to 
each inhabitant. 
pers. We do not like our fat laid on too 
thick. We would rather have it evenly 
mixed among the lean, and so make tender, 
juicy meat, 
“Anglo” asks me where I get my informa¬ 
tion as to the fact that Devon beef is the best 
ip the world? Well, I reply to that that if I 
had uot good sources of information and 
knew something about these matters of my 
own knowledge and experience, I would 
scarcely dare to maintain anything in these 
“Notes, 1 '' especially when T have such an ex¬ 
ceedingly critical and well-informed audience 
before me as the readers of the Rural. I am 
quite satisfied to say to “Anglo” that these 
“Notes 11 represent my beliefs and opinions, 
and that they are fully open to criticism, and 
if any person shows me that I am wrong in 
any matter, I will gratefully acknowledge it 
“Anglo,” believe our country to be the 
world. Certainly we have a better right to 
think so than “ Anglo” has to think the same 
of his little island, which we could put in one 
of our big lakes, and have room enough left 
to sail all the British fleet around it; for we 
are vastly bigger and have about twice as 
many people, and about ten times as much 
live stock, and our wheat and meat and butter 
and cheese feed the English people. But I 
admit the West Highland and the 8cotch 
polled cattle make first-class beef, and that 
he justly rates them very high. But I knoiv 
that Devons have taken premiums over even 
these two at the London fat cattle shows, and 
in these cases at least made good their claim 
to furnish “ the best beef in the world.” 
*** 
In regard to the manner of laying on fat, 
by the Short-horns especially, i must still 
adhere to my statement, 
■ cellent authority, the 
London Agricultural 
Gazette, which some 
time ago made the very 
same statement that I 
did, and gave engrav¬ 
ings of photographs of 
cuts of meats to show 
< : [ the enormous waste. 
Further, I ask any per¬ 
son who doubts, to visit 
the Christmas markets. 
- j and look at the choice 
miMlMS beef exposed for sale, 
and see if the fat is not 
laid on like Icing on a 
cake, two inches thick 
on the ribs and more 
on the rumps and bris- 
SOUTH DOWN RAM, ROYAL READING, 
MONG the nobility of Eng¬ 
land, Lord Walsingbam is 
one of the most prominent 
breeders of live stock, espe¬ 
cially of sheep. The South 
Down ram, Royal Reading, 
whose portrait is presented 
to our readers on this page, 
was dropped at his place, 
Merton Home Farm, Thet- 
ford, Norfolk, in March, 
1880. Both for personal 
merit and pedigree he is a 
NOTES BY A STOCKMAN 
“Circumstancesalter cases.” This applies to 
the remarks made by “Anglo” on page 840, in 
reference to some remarks made by me in for¬ 
mer “Notes” in regard to the quality of 
Devon beef. “Anglo” is a foreigner, aud 
very distinguished ani¬ 
mal. He was awarded 
the first prize at the 
Royal Agricultural So¬ 
ciety’s Exhibition at 
Reading in 1882, and 
the first prize at the 
great Yorkshire Exhi¬ 
bition at Halifax in the 
same year. His pedi¬ 
gree goes back in a di¬ 
rect line on the sire’s 
side to the Royal New¬ 
castle South Down prize 
ram of 1804, from which 
date all his ancestors on 
that side have been dis¬ 
tinguished characters. 
On the dam’s side he is 
equally well descended, 
all his ancestors on that 
side having brought uu- 
usually high prices since 
the time of the cele¬ 
brated ram, Royal Man¬ 
chester. Last June he 
was bought for 100 gui¬ 
neas by Mr. John Ho¬ 
bart Warren,of Hoosick 
Falls, New York, and 
won first prize in his 
class at the New York 
State Fair at Rochester 
in 1883. 
To come to practical 
business, the best beef 
in the world is not only 
that which is the most 
nutritious, highly fla¬ 
vored and economical 
meat for domestic con¬ 
sumption. but it is that 
also which can be reared 
for market at the great¬ 
est profit, and during its 
life, serve its owners 
most usefully. Then by 
this standard l am sure 
the Devon will come out 
first, for it is the most 
profitable farm or stall- 
fed beef; it is the best 
cow of all the beef 
breeds; it is the best 
working ox of all 
breeds, and even “An¬ 
glo,” from his English 
point of view, admits it 
makes better beef than 
the Hereford and the 
Short-horn. I think I 
may reasonably say 
tantui>t suffirit. 
SHEEP IN AUSTRA 
LIA. 
The first Meri uo sheep 
are said to have been jp^gllgghgsg 
introduced iuto Austra- 1^^3311111^ 
lia in 1798, and were a 
ram aud five ewes. In if 
1806 there were added 
three rams and three 
ewes from the flock of 
George HI. The prog¬ 
eny were used on the 
Indian or Bengal sheep. 
In 1810, only 167 pounds ||i|PBJ|||j| 
of wool were exported. 
The export quantity for 
1883 is given at 330,000,- 
000 pounds, and accord¬ 
ing to the Census, the 
number of sheep is 86,500,000—nearly all Me¬ 
rinos. South Africa is the next most formid¬ 
able competitor of the United States. In 
Australia the cost of raising a pound of wool 
is stated to be thirteen cents, and tu South 
Africa it is probably about the same. It will 
be seen, therefore, that the competition is 
formidable. Few even of well informed per¬ 
sons have a good idea of the extent of territory 
embraced in Australasia. The provinces of 
New South Wales, Victoria, East and West 
SOUTH DOWN RAM, ROYAL READING. From a Photograph.-Fig. 25 
and set myself right. I don’t wish my friends 
who read these “Notes” to think that I am an 
oracle and set my opinions above those of all 
others. I am ready to discuss all questions 
raised that may be of general interest. 
*** 
But I think “ Anglo” actually proves my 
case completely, when he says that the Devon 
beef stands before Hereford and Short-horn 
meat. So far as our world goes in this coun¬ 
try then Devon is the best beef ; for we, like 
compares Islington Market in Loudon with 
our American markets. The two cases are as 
completely different as are the political and 
social Circumstances of the two peoples. 
“Tastes differ” wonderfully in regard to meat 
in England aud America. “Three flngera” 
thick ou a mutton chop or a “saddle” are ac¬ 
counted the supremity of excellence in Eng¬ 
land, while by an American such meat would 
be considered much ou a par with the Russian 
tallow candle lunches and yellow soap sup- 
Then comes the Mark Lane Express and 
falls foul of another of your correspondents, 
Mr. H. Stewart, anent the Ayrshire, which Mr. 
S. thiuks and says, stands at the top of the 
list as a milk dairy cow. and stands high too 
for beef. (I believe that is it.) But the M. 
L. E. says, “The Ayrshire is worth next to 
nothing when dry.” It may be so in England, 
because there they like gigantic standing 
ribs and enormous rounds, from which one 
may cut and come again. But an Ayrshire ox 
